Mechanically Minded - Curses

Mind Bend - Izzet Reanimator

The Knowledge Pool - Horde of Notions

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigiled Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sigiled Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.originalmagicart.store/collections/nils-hamm">Nils Hamm</a>)</h6>
<h1>Krakens on Horseback with Swords</h1>
<p>Welcome back, everyone, to another iteration of <em>Forgotten Harvest,</em> the article series where I highlight cards in 300 decks or less on EDHREC. This week will be all about sticking to a challenging deckbuilding restriction, and the underplayed cards that can look great with those restrictions in mind. I'm also super-excited, because this means I can talk about my most favorite deck ever!</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-30586" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/giphy-2.gif" alt="" width="500" height="349" /></p>
<p>Travel back with me to the year 2015. It's a Saturday morning around 10:00 AM. Past-Kyle has popped into his local gaming store, <em>Gabi's Olympic Cards and Comics</em> in Olympia, WA, to take in the goings-on. He has a reputation at the store for adoring the jankiest builds, and for hunting through box after box for a copy of some obscure card that he looked up on Gatherer the other night. Scott, the gentleman tending the <em>Magic</em> counter, brings up his latest Commander build for sale at the store, called <em>Water Polo</em>. The premise of the deck hearkens back to a previous conversation about how much fun it would be to put Equipment on creatures that obviously wouldn't be able to use the item, like putting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Champion&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stillmoon Cavalier" href="#" target="_blank">Stillmoon Cavalier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This lead to thoughts of an Octopus wielding a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loxodon Warhammer" href="#" target="_blank">Loxodon Warhammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> while riding on horseback, and thus the deck was born. After a quick peek at the contents, Kyle decides <em>Water Polo</em> will be coming home with him.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loxodon Warhammer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lorthos, the Tidemaker"></div></div>
<p>I've spent the last 4 years improving, tweaking, and "fancifying" the deck. When <em>Kaladesh</em> introduced Vehicles, they were quickly slotted in. When I finally landed a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, the Mind Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, the Mind Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it was an immediate add. All the while, I've held true to three rules:</p>
<ol>
<li><em>Water Polo</em> must be about Krakens on horseback with swords. There must always exist the themes of big sea creatures and Equipment in the deck.</li>
<li><em>Water Polo</em> isn't a control deck. I can't run a bunch of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variants. Some removal is okay, but always keep the deck about Rule #1.</li>
<li>With the exception of it's general, <em>Water Polo</em> can't have anthropomorphic creatures. No Humans, no Merfolk, no Pirates, no Spirits. Every creature in the 99 must look ridiculous when equipped, or on horseback, or crewing a Vehicle.</li>
</ol>
<p>Rule #3 is the big challenge. I've had to make some very interesting design choices in order to keep Merfolk out and still manage a decent mana curve. We'll get more into that later, but first I should get into some of the heavy-hitters in the deck.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Denizens of the Deep</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sun Quan, Lord of Wu"></div></div>
<p>Commanding the <em>Water Polo</em> team is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sun Quan, Lord of Wu" href="#" target="_blank">Sun Quan, Lord of Wu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I grant him a special exception on the anthropomorphic rule, as he is the only way I can get all my sea creatures on horseback. While this is primarily there for the gimmick, it also greatly affects my choice of which big bubble-blasting beasts to include in the 99. In Commander, <em>Horsemanship</em> essentially keeps my creatures from being blocked in all instances, so already-unblockable creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep-Sea Kraken" href="#" target="_blank">Deep-Sea Kraken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrapdiver Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Scrapdiver Serpent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidal Kraken" href="#" target="_blank">Tidal Kraken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are no longer necessary. It also makes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormsurge Kraken" href="#" target="_blank">Stormsurge Kraken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> far worse than normal, hence its exclusion from the list.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tromokratis" href="#" target="_blank">Tromokratis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> technically falls into that category as well, but it has proven to be an excellent opportunity to take advantage of opponents' misplays. Those on the other side of the table have been so focused on making sure they have a way to stop this big'un that they avoid the red zone or hold off on activated abilities.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Blue Beasties" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Creatures]<br />
*1 Draining Whelk<br />
*1 Shipbreaker Kraken<br />
*1 Aethersquall Ancient<br />
*1 Colossal Whale<br />
*1 Fleet Swallower<br />
*1 Scourge of Fleets<br />
*1 Tromokratis<br />
*1 Elder Deep-Fiend<br />
*1 Kederekt Leviathan<br />
*1 Lorthos, the Tidemaker<br />
*1 Stormtide Leviathan<br />
*1 Inkwell Leviathan<br />
[/Creatures]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>
<hr />
<h2>Swords and Hammers and Boots, Oh My!</h2>
<p>I want to make sure my <em>Water Polo</em> crew has only the best polo equipment, so a good chunk of the deck is filled with the best attachable artifacts I could find. This also serves a second purpose of helping to drop the mana curve. It isn't enough on its own, which is why there are plenty of mana rocks to help.</p>
<p>Equipment generally serve one of three purposes: protect the team, do something great when attacking, or provide help when blocking. There's not much need for additional pump or making my creatures unblockable, but keeping something alive with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is more along the lines of what the deck needs. The same is true of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Feast and Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Feast and Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> untapping lands. The Vehicles work better with the smaller sea creatures, and potentially offer something on their own, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator&#039;s Caravan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Quartermastery" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Artifacts]<br />
*1 Basilisk Collar<br />
*1 Lightning Greaves<br />
*1 Sword of the Animist<br />
*1 Umezawa's Jitte<br />
*1 Cultivator's Caravan<br />
*1 Darksteel Plate<br />
*1 Loxodon Warhammer<br />
*1 Strata Scythe<br />
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine<br />
*1 Sword of Fire and Ice<br />
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow<br />
*1 Conqueror's Galleon<br />
*1 Fleetwheel Cruiser<br />
*1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship<br />
[/Artifacts]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>
<hr />
<h2>Those in Under 300 Leagues</h2>
<p>The cards mentioned above are classics of the genre, but the deck is also full to brimming with underused cards that show up in less than 300 decks on EDHREC. Let's see what gems lurk beneath the depths.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giant Oyster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sand Squid"></div></div>
<p>One of the critical pieces this deck struggles with is removal. There's plenty of bounce from the Leviathans above, and from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whelming Wave" href="#" target="_blank">Whelming Wave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but repeatable removal is lacking. Offering some support with this, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giant Oyster" href="#" target="_blank">Giant Oyster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (174 decks) can help tap down a problem creature and slowly crush it to death. Another creature tapper is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sand Squid" href="#" target="_blank">Sand Squid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an oft-forgotten gem from <em>Mercadian Masques</em>, only appearing in 105 decks. It fills a similar role, just without the -1/-1 counters, trading them for a 2/2 body capable of crewing a Vehicle, not to mention the very relevant <em>Islandwalk,</em> given the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormtide Leviathan" href="#" target="_blank">Stormtide Leviathan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the deck.</p>
<p>These creatures not only aid in removal, but they meet the non-anthropomorphic requirement and drop the mana curve slightly. I've found these cards to be just powerful enough to provide removal without drawing the ire of the table. I've never had either removed before getting to use them at least once, and usually they stick around far longer. There's also nothing like throwing some Equipment on either of them and swinging in with a bizarre Jitte-wielding Oyster.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spiny Starfish"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chambered Nautilus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dandan"></div></div>
<p>Talk about weird abilities in blue! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spiny Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Spiny Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>Alliances</em> is one of the hard-to-find aquatic regenerators. Not only that, it also makes baby starfish when the regeneration triggers! What a kooky three-drop that slots perfectly into the sea creatures theme. Found in 121 decks on EDHREC, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spiny Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Spiny Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides some excellent hard-to-remove defense while the deck ramps up to dropping its first Kraken.</p>
<p>Another three-drop helping out in the early game is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chambered Nautilus" href="#" target="_blank">Chambered Nautilus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With its "when blocked" trigger, this mollusk is an excellent target for Equipment. When the Nautilus is holding a sword, it becomes a lot harder to just let it on through. It's only seeing play in 10 decks right now, but I think that number could be much higher.</p>
<p>I expect to get <em>so</em> much grief for including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dandan" href="#" target="_blank">Dandan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a Commander deck, but hear me out: it's a cheap sea creature, it's a threatening blocker, and it can <em>Crew</em> any Vehicle in the deck. Somehow, it sees play in 42 decks right now. Honestly, I think that number is high, likely due to some <em>Islandhome</em>-themed builds. In this specific instance, I've had trouble finding something as effective as this two-drop, especially since I'm not running any Merfolk or Wizards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kraken&#039;s Eye"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystic Decree"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Homarid Spawning Bed"></div></div>
<p>One of this deck's (many) faults is difficulty recovering in the late game. To help keep life totals from dipping too low, I've included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kraken&#039;s Eye" href="#" target="_blank">Kraken&#039;s Eye</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. All of these life-gaining artifacts tend not to see much play, with the Eye only included in 245 decklists. As a bonus, I get some life from other players' blue spells as well. The only hard part is remembering the trigger.</p>
<p>Another weakness for this deck is facing down flyers. Luckily, the world enchantment <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Decree" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Decree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps out a bunch! Sure, lots of sea creatures will end up losing their <em>Islandwalk</em>, but the ability isn't very relevant when they already have <em>Horsemanship</em>. I especially like dropping this right after <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormtide Leviathan" href="#" target="_blank">Stormtide Leviathan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hits the battlefield. The break from combat can be a big help, and serves as a political play as well.</p>
<p>Finally, I've found it necessary to prepare for spot removal against the big Leviathans. Blue doesn't offer much in the way of recursion, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Homarid Spawning Bed" href="#" target="_blank">Homarid Spawning Bed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does offer something before the beastie hits the bin. The Camarid tokens it generates function as great chump blockers, or can be used to <em>Crew</em> vehicles. While it's only in 165 decks, I think this is a great option for most blue/black reanimator builds.</p>
<p>Let's have a look at the full list:</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Water Polo" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Commander]<br />
*1 Sun Quan, Lord of Wu<br />
[/Commander]</p>
<p>[Creatures]<br />
*1 Dandan<br />
*1 Sigiled Starfish<br />
*1 Chambered Nautilus<br />
*1 Chasm Skulker<br />
*1 Guard Gomazoa<br />
*1 Man-o'-War<br />
*1 Spiny Starfish<br />
*1 Giant Oyster<br />
*1 Reef Worm<br />
*1 Sand Squid<br />
*1 Draining Whelk<br />
*1 Shipbreaker Kraken<br />
*1 Aethersquall Ancient<br />
*1 Colossal Whale<br />
*1 Fleet Swallower<br />
*1 Scourge of Fleets<br />
*1 Tromokratis<br />
*1 Elder Deep-Fiend<br />
*1 Kederekt Leviathan<br />
*1 Lorthos, the Tidemaker<br />
*1 Stormtide Leviathan<br />
*1 Inkwell Leviathan<br />
[/Creatures]</p>
<p>[Instants]<br />
*1 Spell Burst<br />
*1 Cyclonic Rift<br />
*1 Reality Shift<br />
[/Instants]</p>
<p>[Sorceries]<br />
*1 Whelming Wave<br />
*1 Inundate<br />
[/Sorceries]</p>
<p>[Artifacts]<br />
*1 Basilisk Collar<br />
*1 Bident of Thassa<br />
*1 Sol Ring<br />
*1 Kraken's Eye<br />
*1 Lightning Greaves<br />
*1 Sky Diamond<br />
*1 Sword of the Animist<br />
*1 Umezawa's Jitte<br />
*1 Crawlspace<br />
*1 Cultivator's Caravan<br />
*1 Darksteel Plate<br />
*1 Extraplanar Lens<br />
*1 Loxodon Warhammer<br />
*1 Proteus Staff<br />
*1 Strata Scythe<br />
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine<br />
*1 Sword of Fire and Ice<br />
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow<br />
*1 Conqueror's Galleon<br />
*1 Fleetwheel Cruiser<br />
*1 Quicksilver Amulet<br />
*1 Thran Dynamo<br />
*1 Gilded Lotus<br />
*1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship<br />
[/Artifacts]</p>
<p>[Enchantments]<br />
*1 Quest for Ula's Temple<br />
*1 Homarid Spawning Bed<br />
*1 Imprisoned in the Moon<br />
*1 Propaganda<br />
*1 Rhystic Study<br />
*1 Mystic Decree<br />
*1 Treachery<br />
[/Enchantments]</p>
<p>[Planeswalkers]<br />
*1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor<br />
*1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets<br />
*1 Tezzeret the Seeker<br />
[/Planeswalkers]</p>
<p>[Lands]<br />
*1 Academy Ruins<br />
*1 Ancient Tomb<br />
*1 Coral Atoll<br />
*1 Darksteel Citadel<br />
*1 Evolving Wilds<br />
*1 Halimar Depths<br />
*1 Haunted Fengraf<br />
*21 Island<br />
*1 Lonely Sandbar<br />
*1 Mage-Ring Network<br />
*1 Myriad Landscape<br />
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx<br />
*1 Remote Isle<br />
*1 Seat of the Synod<br />
*1 Soldevi Excavations<br />
*1 Teferi's Isle<br />
*1 Temple of the False God<br />
*1 Tolaria West<br />
[/Lands]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>

<hr />
<h2>The Tide's Going Out</h2>
<p>Well, that's about it for this time on <em>Forgotten Harvest</em>. Got a question, comment, or snide remark? Leave it for me in the comments. What are some interesting restrictions you've used when building a deck? Are there any neglected cards in 300 decks or less on EDHREC that you'd like to see featured? Or maybe there's a less-than-popular deck idea that you'd like to see fleshed out, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis" href="#" target="_blank">Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enchantress or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha, the Gravetide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Voltron. Let me hear all about it below!</p>


Forgotten Harvest – Water Polo

The Toolbox - Spellweaving Insanity

Historically Speaking - Of Mardu and Mongols

Underdog's Corner - Digging Up Sek'Kuar

Making the Cut - Reader Submission: Livin' in Enchantment Paradise

Conditions Allow - Rakdos the Defiler

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep" href="#" target="_blank">Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/rutkowski">Greg Rutkowski</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Good morning, EDHREC! I’m Bernardo Melibeu and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual cards, effectively changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up in front of your own face is half the fun.</p>
<p>In this article we'll take a look at the splashiest card of <em>Dominaria:</em> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep" href="#" target="_blank">Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slinn Voda, The Rising Deep"></div></div>
<p><strong>Kicker 1U</strong></p>
<p><strong>When Slinn Voda enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, return all creatures to their owners' hands except for Merfolk, Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>10 mana for a situational <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evacuation" href="#" target="_blank">Evacuation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect and a 8/8 body is not something very attractive, especially in a non-green commander.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Release to the Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Release to the Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a wonderful card to have in combination with this commander, because recasting Slinn Voda from exile lets us choose to pay the kicker cost again to reuse the ETB effect.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>Bouncing tons of creatures is made more competitive if we add in wheels. Not only will a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect refill our hand after we drop tons of mana rocks into play, but all enemy creatures we bounced will be thrown away, dealing with those issues more permanently.</p>
<p>Observation 4:</p>
<p>A Voltron secondary win condition is worth looking at, since our commander has 8 power and an ETB that clears blockers out of the way.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p>With that in mind, let’s head to Slinn Voda’s EDHREC page and see how it’s usually built:</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-30227" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Slinn-Voda-Sig.png" alt="" width="878" height="428" /></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-30228" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Slinn-Voda-top.png" alt="" width="879" height="416" /></p>
<p>As we can see, on one side we have big ocean baddies, and on the other we have a few control elements and ramp. It's not a surprise that this is a pretty casual commander, which means it's our job to experiment and make it even crazier!</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>After some thinking, I saw that we wouldn't be able to utilize Slinn Voda's ETB in a control shell. 10 mana is just too much. Instead of focusing on the defensive side of this ability, how about taking a look on the possible offensive applications? In Commander, we prioritize having creatures with strong ETB effects, because we know that in a multiplayer setting it's very easy for them to get destroyed, and we want to get value out of our creatures right away before they potentially disappear. As a result, having ways to abuse those ETB effects by bouncing them back to our hand and replaying them might be a viable game plan, with the right support.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Panharmonicon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conjurer&#039;s Closet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Naban, Dean of Iteration"></div></div>
<p>Being mono-blue is a setback, as our creatures aren't as powerful as those found in other colors. Luckily, it also gives us the opportunity to build from a tribe that is on point with our gameplan: Wizards. Wizards as a tribe loves ETB support. In fact, there are 2 commanders that synergize with ETB Wizard effects: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist" href="#" target="_blank">Inalla, Archmage Ritualist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Naban, Dean of Iteration" href="#" target="_blank">Naban, Dean of Iteration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Wizards also help us draw cards and control the board, meaning that we won't need to waste many slots with non-synergistic spells.</p>
<p>Let's get to our creature suite, as they're the whole point of this build. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sage of Epityr" href="#" target="_blank">Sage of Epityr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omenspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Omenspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and similar effects might seem weak at first, but don't let them fool you their ability to brush off early aggro while helping us find the cards we need. That can be extremely important in the earlier stages of the game. The second group are the closest thing to spot removal that we're gonna get: cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aether Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Aether Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Separatist Voidmage" href="#" target="_blank">Separatist Voidmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These cards tend to snowball pretty fast with the right support. Finally, there're some cards that aren't ETB value, but not playing them would be a mistake. These include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azami, Lady of Scrolls" href="#" target="_blank">Azami, Lady of Scrolls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Galecaster Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Galecaster Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riptide Director" href="#" target="_blank">Riptide Director</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>ETB creatures means we need ETB support. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Naban, Dean of Iteration" href="#" target="_blank">Naban, Dean of Iteration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are auto-includes, since they do exactly what we want. We also have some <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erratic Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Erratic Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-type cards that serve double duty as a permanent tax to our opponents and a way to bounce our own creatures for repeated value. Bear in mind that this is very mana intensive, but our deck is built with that knowledge. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudstone Curio" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudstone Curio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheaper way to do the same effect, but we lose the flexibility of being able to remove threats from the board and to freely block creatures. There's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Paradoxical Outcome" href="#" target="_blank">Paradoxical Outcome</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a one-shot effect that pairs extremely well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to become a powerful draw engine.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venser, Shaper Savant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aven Fogbringer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aether Adept"></div></div>
<p>Once we have our engine established, we need to be able to end the game. Slinn Voda can rid our opposition of the ability to block, allowing our creatures to deal damage unimpeded. Power-ups like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Memorial" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Memorial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will help tremendously in this regard. That plan does require some setup, so when all else fails, we can also just hit people with a giant fish; Slinn Voda can off people in three attacks, which ain't all that bad.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Slinn Voda Wizards" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]Slinn Voda, The Rising Deep[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Sage of Epityr
*Siren Stormtamer
*Naban, Dean of Iteration
*Omenspeaker
*Stern Proctor
*Stonybrook Banneret
*Vedalken Aethermage
*Aether Adept
*Champion of Wits
*Exclusion Mage
*Merchant of Secrets
*Patron Wizard
*Portal Mage
*Sage of Fables
*Sea Gate Oracle
*Silumgar Sorcerer
*Temporal Adept
*Trophy Mage
*Watertrap Weaver
*Archaeomancer
*Aven Fogbringer
*Glen Elendra Archmage
*Master of Waves
*Riptide Director
*Separatist Voidmage
*Sower of Temptation
*Tempest Caller
*Venser, Shaper Savant
*Azami, Lady of Scrolls
*Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
*Archetype of Imagination
*Galecaster Colossus
[/Creature]

[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Counterspell
*Cyclonic Rift
*Negate
*Paradoxical Outcome
[/Instant]
[Enchantment]
*As Foretold
*Equilibrium
*Kindred Discovery
[/Enchantment]

[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Sol Ring
*Coldsteel Heart
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Sapphire Medallion
*Sky Diamond
*Cloudstone Curio
*Commander&#039;s Sphere
*Crystal Shard
*Extraplanar Lens
*Semblance Anvil
*Worn Powerstone
*Dragon Throne of Tarkir
*Erratic Portal
*Panharmonicon
*Coat of Arms
*Conjurer&#039;s Closet
*Cryptic Gateway
*Gauntlet of Power
*Gilded Lotus
*Vanquisher&#039;s Banner
*Caged Sun
*Akroma&#039;s Memorial
[/Artifact]
[Land]
*Ghost Quarter
*Tectonic Edge
*Myriad Landscape
*Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*Riptide Laboratory
*Scavenger Grounds
*Arch of Orazca
*28 Island
[/Land]"></span></div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
</div>
<div></div>
<hr />
<div>This is a very mana-intensive build. We need mana to play our commander to bounce enemy armies and replay our creatures for extra value, and because of that, having good mana acceleration is very important. We have 9 mana rocks, 3 cost reducers, 3 mana doublers, and 2 ways of cheating things into play for free. Even though we need lots of mana, it doesn't take all that much time to actually get there, since in the mid game we can start replaying our creatures for added value.</div>
<div></div>
<div><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cryptic Gateway"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="As Foretold"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caged Sun"></div></div></div>
<div></div>
<div>Since we get a lot of value from our creatures, there're some areas that this list is lacking, such as card draw and instant-speed interaction. That means two things. First, we can't waste cards. Our card advantage comes from repeating our creatures' effects over and over. This is powerful, but if they're removed permanently by a board wipe, we lose a lot of fuel in our engine. Second, since we have less interaction on other players' turns than a normal blue deck, we may need to do some politicking to make sure we don't get run over by a big threat.</div>
<hr />
<div>
<h2>Methodology</h2>
</div>
<p>Our early game is basically dropping lands, playing rocks, and getting value from our creatures. We need to be careful to not over-commit and get blown away by a board wipe, but we can't afford to slow down so much that we never get our engine started. There're some things we can do that can help with this problem, such as holding mana for a counterspells (or bluffing them) and bouncing our own creatures with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aether Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Aether Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>By the mid game we should have found some sort of way to abuse our creatures, be it fast mana to play our commander or some bounce engine like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erratic Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Erratic Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is where we start to go crazy. Mana is still a constraint until we hit a mana doubler or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptic Gateway" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptic Gateway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. By this point, since we need to have our engine going, we should consider playing counterspells only defensively.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Memorial"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Throne of Tarkir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coat of Arms"></div></div>
<p>The late game is where we get degenerate. Looping Venser is not going to make you any friends at the table. By this point we need to take 2-3 creatures and an anthem effect to help us pick some players off. It's very easy to have free attacks with our commander, so the threat of Slinn Voda can be used to help out when making deals (#politics).</p>
<hr />
<h1>Epic Results</h1>
<p>Mono-color tribal can be hard to build, especially in a color that doesn't really support creatures all that well. There are a few adjustments that could be made to the list above to season to your personal taste.</p>
<p>One theme that could've been explored is copying creatures, such as with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Replication" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Replication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cackling Counterpart" href="#" target="_blank">Cackling Counterpart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They don't interact favorably with ounce effects, but we can't deny their value. Another direction that this deck could've gone is simply to abandon the Wizards. Just plain value creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, I still think that investing in the tribe is overall better, as there are more payoffs.</p>
<div class="blog-post">
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think about Slinn Voda Wizard Tribal? Please fell free to leave any suggestions in the comments section. Do you have any questions about the list? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know!</p>
</div>


Epic Experiment - Slinn Voda Wizards

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